Life

Craig Alexander Wears His Heart on His Helmet

Pro ambassador Craig Alexander is a three-time IRONMAN and two-time 70.3 world champion, but he's just as proud of being a dedicated dad.

By Kevin Mackinnon

The helmet says it all. Craig "Crowie" Alexander is one of the most successful athletes our sport has ever seen – a three-time IRONMAN world champion, two-time 70.3 world champ and second on the all-time triathlon prize money list (to Greg Bennett) thanks to his numerous wins across the globe.

But what comes first for Alexander is family, which is why there’s always been a reference to his wife, Neri, along with children Lucy and Austin on each custom-painted helmet his sponsor Road ID delivers to him just days before each championship. Since the Alexanders were expecting their third child just days before the IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship Melbourne last month, his latest depicted a crow delivering a baby in a pink blanket.

The Melbourne race also served as the first event the 39-year-old Alexander was racing as an official IRONMAN pro ambassador.

"It was a huge honor to be asked," Alexander says. "It’s also nice to be invited to sit on the athlete advisory board to speak on behalf of athletes. IRONMAN is showing that they’re looking to take input from athletes – hopefully I can provide that."

Alexander hopes to be able to use his new position to provide mentorship and support for younger athletes as they "work their way through the ranks." Which doesn't mean he's any less focused on his own career: He's as determined as ever to return to both Henderson, Nevada and Kailua-Kona to reclaim the world titles he held in 2011.

"I’m the kind of ambassador who is going to try and beat all the athletes on the head," he says. "When I race, I race to win."

While he didn’t defend his title in Melbourne last month, the fact that Alexander even made it to the start line was impressive. At 3:05 a.m. on the Tuesday morning before the race, Neri gave birth to their third child, Lani May. Two days after his pre-race all-nighter, he was on a plane to Melbourne for sponsor appearances and to prepare for one of the biggest races of the year.

"The challenge is that I am on such an emotional high, it’s hard to channel that into the race," he said two days before the championship. "We knew the timing of this race and the timing of the birth. There’s a lot of races to do … the major priority was the arrival of bub number three. It worked out perfectly."

We’ll be seeing lots of Alexander in the IRONMAN world this summer. He’ll be part of our coverage team for IRONMAN 70.3 St. George, which will serve as the US Pro Championship, and he’ll be racing at IRONMAN 70.3 Kansas in June. Then, of course, we’ll see him back in Las Vegas and Kona, where he hopes to add two more world titles to his resume.

We're excited to announce four IRONMAN pro ambassadors for 2013, and will introduce them over the coming weeks. Meet ambassador Jordan Rapp and read his thoughts on the 2013 season.